Tainted Love

Mercy tapped her finger against her desk impatiently. After she came back from Kyoto, she went to work doing her usual thing, which included checking over this 'Cheerleader Lilly' girl. Of course she had access to everything about the woman. Her personal information, her phone number and all of the work she had done with AFW so far. She had to when she was the Chief Manager of Talent Relation's personal assistant.

The girl hadn't been impressive. Even her banal response to the pseudo interview over-hyped what she watched in the match. But that wasn't the thing that really upset her. She soon realized where the girl seemed familiar when she put int he match between Clyde and Lilly. She watched it with a scowl and by the time it was over, she was already looking for Clyde's number. She certainly wasn't going to call him from her cel phone but she had the company line to call him from. She dialed the number angrily.

Her fingers tapped the desk, waiting as it rang. She wasn't waiting around for Clyde. The second she heard the phone click on, whether it be from the voice-mail or Clyde answering, she began to yell. She had sucked in a breath ahead of time so she was ready.

"What in the HELL is wrong with you!? you let THAT little... whore beat you to a pulp!? Don't you have any pride!? Aren't you ashamed of yourself!? This is how you repay me after I put my reputation on the line and talked to Tension about getting you better matches!?"

Despite her words, he wasn't going to give Clyde any time to speak. "Well!? Aren't you going to say something!? Go on! Explain yourself! Wait... Let me guess, you have some lame excuse don't you?! We'll, I'm waiting! I swear if I have to hang up on you, so help me!" She growled into the phone, finally pausing to catch her breath and huffing cutely into the phone.

When Clyde wasn't wrestling and had free time, he was either (finally) working out or was in the city playing at the local arcades to deliver a massive beat down to all the local punks who thought they could hang with the obnoxious gaijin at various fighting games like Tekken and Street Fighter. Tonight though he wasn't out spending his money on greasy American food, booze and arcade games but was just relaxing at home, looking up 'how to properly iron shirts' on a cheap little laptop he purchased.

"This don't seem all that tough." He said while examining his unplugged iron, reading info on the laptop while the TV showed Japanese Baseball. Just a casual day for Clyde T. Gastin. Suddenly though he got a phone call on his cell, he reached for it and checked it out, number wasn't too familiar but whatever. He flipped it open.

"Hel-" He began to say only to be cut off by a young woman's angry and loud yelling that screeched into his ear, making his eyes pop out, forcing him to pull the phone away from his ear from how loud it was as he was suddenly scolded without warning by a rather familiar voice. To say this caught him off guard was quite the understatement. "Jesus." Clyde let out, what did he do this time? He didn't remember any whore beating him to a pulp.

"...Mer-" Clyde tried to say only to have Mercy yell at him again, leaving the cowboy to just sigh hopelessly until she asked him to Go On and explain himself. "Uh.." He tried to say but got cut off again... This wasn't about Lilly was it? or was it Kelli? He ended up grimacing a bit when she stated that he had a lame excuse, truth be told he honestly had an excuse as to why he got beat up a bit, but beaten to a pulp? That wasn't him. Was it? Clyde was a bit dumbfounded out and somewhat intimated by the petite paralegals angry rant that honestly took him by surprise, he knew she was a bit of a tight ass but he didn't think she'd flip out over this.

"...Uhhh... Who 're we talkin' 'bout again?" Clyde asked with a nervous laugh while he scratched the back of his head, honestly expecting to get yelled at just for asking that.

Mercy clenched her teeth as she heard Clyde's words peter out a response. He was pretty good at playing dumb. I don't even think he's playing it... She thought. She opened her mouth and let out a soft growl. "You know damn well who I'm talking about." She said as she began tapping the desk faster. "Your little hussy, cheerleader girlfriend." She said the last word sharply. What he was saying before, was it an excuse? If he was trying to two time her, then she'd throw him out on his dusty-jeaned butt faster than he could say 'gomen nasai'! But, it wasn't like he they were going out. That was just ridiculous.

"I saw your match. Please tell me that you don't look that ridiculous EVERY time you fight. I'm afraid to watch your other matches." She tried to calm down but there was a residual growl in her tone. "I met her. I met that nasty little skank you're so in love with." She practically spat the words out.

Clyde furrowed his brow in a perplexed manner. "G-Girlfri-..? Ohhh! Lilly! ....She ain't my girlfriend." He said. Being firm to deny that he had any romantic interest in the crazy cheerleader stalker from hell. Why would Mercy say that? Lilly practically wanted to kill him.

Clyde's face drooped into a frown when Mercy asked if he looked that ridiculous every time he fought. Yeowch. What was the big deal? He won. Isn't that what mattered? Clyde just couldn't help but be a bit confused and worried at how angry Mercy seemed. He then cringed a bit when Mercy said she met Lilly.

"Y-You met Lilly!? Wait... L-LOVE!?" Clyde practically gagged out but quick to deny, was she messing with him or being serious? It sounded rather ridiculous. "Mercy, that's crazy talk! I ain't gotta lick of love for Lilly! Where in the blue hell did ya' figure that!?" Clyde tried to say in response to the ridiculous statement, wondering why Mercy seemed to think he had a thing for the hot but crazy cheerleader while honestly picturing the girl's encounter to be a rather catty battle that consisted of scratching and hair pulling, along with the word 'bitch' being shouted over and over.

"Uh huh." Mercy said dryly as Clyde began to talk. "Maybe you're just saying that so i don't yell at you anymore.She did drag you off after all.' Mercy leaned forward and pressed her elbow against her desk. "You're telling me that you weren't enjoying it, Clyde?" Mercy licked her lips. "That little girl being all rough with a big, strong man like you." Her tone had a sudden sultry tone to it, as if she was trying to entice him, even though her words held some mockery to them.

She then leaned back and lifted up her nose. "You seemed so eager to bring her up last time we talked. You know." She said, poking her desk. "You don't talk about other girls when you're out with one. Hmph." She then let out a sigh. "She wants me to help her out the same way you want me to help you out." She put the phone against her cheek and crossed her arms under her chest,swiveling in her chair a bit and twirling some of her pink hair in her finger. "I'm certainly not." She added. "I'll make sure she fights other losers or maybe I'll put her up against one of those muscle men." Here was a gleam in her eye as she thought about it. "Well, whatever. The point is, even I could take her in a fight! You have to do way better than that! You better do better in the next match I put you in. You won't be facing a an attention whore with no talent the next time you wrestler, that's for sure, understand?"

Clyde rolled his eyes at Mercy's dry response. Of course she didn't believe him. "And I R-... Got away." Clyde told her, deciding that saying he 'ran away' from Lilly the cheerleader didn't sound manly at all. Then he heard Mercy begin to speak all of a sudden in a sultry tone that kept Clyde quiet, gulping as his face turned bright red from her enticing words, forgetting that she was saying this mock him.

Of course that all ended when Mercy started talking normal again and put him on the spot. "Ah. Wah..." He let out at her unfair words, honestly not knowing what to say at all. He wasn't supposed to talk about other girls with Mercy? But they had a whole conversation about Lilly! Clyde was confused.

"Tell 'er no!" Clyde said to Mercy immediately in regards to helping Lilly. But Mercy wasn't going to anyway. "Good." Clyde stated firmly, he wanted Lilly far away from Mercy as possible. After all he did mention Lilly to Mercy once. "Yeah, yeah, do that!" Clyde said with approval. He hated people like Killer King and Kent Quick but thought maybe they were the right kind of people to deal with Lilly... But maybe that was a bit far. Oh well.

Clyde eyes then widened as Mercy talked about how she could take on Lilly. He heard what else she had to say and of course he complied, she was kind of like his boss, right? Aurelia wasn't in charge of him though... Regardless! Clyde got the message and sighed, feeling like a child being scolded by his mother for failing his math test that he didnt study for and would be in for it if he didn't do better next time.

"...Yeah I get it, that's fine, send whoever I'll kick ass next time, but Mercy... You haven't... Fought with her, have ya?" Clyde said, being quick with agreeing to Mercy's demands to 'try harder next time' like a good little cowboy before trying to find out if Mercy had already had a confrontation of sorts with Lilly, speaking to her in a soft concerned tone. It didn't seem like Mercy confronted Lilly about him, Clyde wasn't sure, judging by how angry Mercy was towards the girl anything could have happened during their encounter.

Mercy listened dryly to Clyde's words. "Uhhh... no." She said to his words regarding her and Lilly getting into a fight. "You don't know much about girls do you?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "We just happened to run into each other. I didn't find out who she was until we parted ways. She seemed nice enough, but she's a total faker. Besides, if she tried to attack me, I'd have her butt thrown in jail and then I'd sue that way too short skirt right off of it!" Mercy felt indignant. "My ass is way nicer, by the way." She told Clyde as if it were a fact of the universe. It most certainly was. Mercy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she'd try and ambush me or something though. That's the only way she could even take me down. Does she really think an hour or two of Zumba a week makes her a wrestler?!"

Mercy sighed with exaggerated exasperation. She was doing a little bit of projecting. "I bet her tits are as fake as that ugly smile of hers too, Geeze!" Mercy said, clenching her fist tightly. "She's lucky I don't wrestle! Otherwise, maybe I really WOULD just kick her ass myself!"

Mercy snorted and adjusted her phone to the other side, shifting in her seat. "Thanks a lot, Clyde! Now I'm even more worked up than before! Don't you know how busy I am?! I don't have time to sit here and chat with you all day!"

"Oh good." Clyde sighed in relief before Mercy called him out on not knowing much about girls, his face turned red in embarrassment. He got around a lot back in the day but he barely knew those girls. He listened to Mercy speak about how she met Lilly and how the encounter went, his brow furrowing when Mercy said she seemed nice, of course she was faking, there was nothing nice about Lilly at all. "Ain't no arguments here, babe." Clyde muttered slyly and honestly with a smug grin about Mercy's superior rump, he would know after all.

He then blinked as he heard Mercy talk about an ambush on her and then frowned, he wasn't sure what Lilly would do, she could ambush either one of them. "Mercy... I don't think you know how aggressive Lilly is. Take it from someone who's fought Cecilia Northman to a draw." Clyde tried to suggest with tact, he then sighed as Mercy talked bitterly about the girl's chest and teeth... Was she jealous? Well whatever Lilly lacked below the skirt she made up for in her bust that was for sure. Ah the things Clyde sacrificed for... Whatever his thing with Mercy was. They weren't dating but sometimes it was moments like these that gave off that vibe.

"...Huh? Mercy you called m- Nevermind. Look just try and be careful a'ight? Lilly is Crazy and I know she's out there lookin for my ass and wants ta'..." Clyde paused and sighed. "...Make me her slave... B-But I ain't scared or nuthin, a'ight!? I just want you ta' be careful 'cause I might'a... [size=90:2vd0iqmy]said your name in front of her when she tried to force herself on me..." Clyde said uneasily, sort of mumbling the last part. How else could he explain a psycho cheerleader was out trying to get him? He felt he had to be honest with Mercy as he may have dragged her into a conflict with an individual who DID NOT quit.

Mercy sucked in a breath at Clyde's words. She'd have to tell him that it was quite inappropriate for him to call her babe, but the fact that he was agreeing with her and the soft blush on her cheeks made her unable to find the words before he was already off and running on other things.

By the time he was finished, mercy was back to being hunched over on her desk. She was holdign the phone. "Wait.. Wait, wait, wiat..." She said. "You fought Cecilia to a draw?!" She couldn't believe the words. "Ok, so either she used to really suck or somehow you used to be really good because that doesn't make any sense! How can you fight Cecilia to a draw and get your ass kicked and barely win against that little cheerleader slut!? Mr. Gastin, I don't like it when people try and bullshit me." She said and furrowed her brow. "And Especially not someone like you."

"hhhhhhrrrgh!" She let out a groan of frustration and brought one hand up to rub her temples. "Crazy." She said after a long pause. "You know what's crazy?" She said. "Thinking you can negotiate a contract with someone who is flashing a gun in the middle of Japan! Having to fend off a psychotic, roid raging behemoth with a wine bottle! Having to ransom batman for a stupid piece of paper after all your stuff got stolen and you were left laying in a pile of garbage! THAT'S crazy, MISTER Gastin." Mercy was panting. "Some little cheerleader who is trying to go all Lorena Bobbitt on you isn't something I'm all that worried about."

Mercy plopped back in her chair and blew a lock of pink hair from her face. "She can come try whatever she wants all day long. Between the two of us, she's just a man-hating little slut. I am her boss after all, what could she possibly do to me?" Mercy then grinned. "Are you trying to tell me you want to come run and hide under my skirt Clyde? I'll protect you from the big, bag cheerleader." Mercy then leaned back and giggled before letting out a contented sigh. She then furrowed her brow. "And don't you dare say yes just to get a rise out of me! I know you'd just like another peek!" Mercy then began to blush deeply and leaned forward, as if she had to whisper. She even looked around in case Aurelia might be within ear shot. "No more free peeks for you, you hear!?" She didn't know why she felt the need to say it again. Of course he knew better but she was suddenly feeling a little flush as she tugged at her collar. This guy was just an idiot! He was just getting her riled, that's all!

"Yeah?" Clyde responded to Mercy like it was no big deal. But it wasn't until she voiced how it didn't make sense that Clyde began to question it somewhat as well after frowning at Mercy's minor put down. It WAS Cecilia's first match after all. "I ain't bulls-" He began to say before hearing her continue and say something that made him raise an eyebrow. "...Waddaya mean someone like me?" He asked curiously. Wondering what that was supposed to mean.

He went silent though as he heard Mercy rant about what Crazy really was. Her words making him go silent as he listened to her rave on about stuff that actually sounded pretty crazy but her tone suggested that she may have experienced this and that was where Clyde sounded pretty concerned. Maybe Mercy was so uptight because her job had her meet most of AFW's most insane people. But Batman? She had to be joking now. Either way Clyde was left dead silent after Mercy's little tirade, wondering what sort of girl he got himself mixed up with. She seemed to freak out quite a bit. A lot more than him.

Clyde sighed in frustration as Mercy kept stubborn and didn't seem to care about crazy Lilly, but did find relief in knowing Mercy was her boss. That meant Lilly wouldn't hurt her, right? And why did Mercy say Lilly was a man-hater? Clearly she hated him would a girl who hates men want to use him as her sex slave? Clyde didn't knw But when Mercy began to tease the cowboy, he furrowed his brow, his cheeks now bright red in embarrassment at the thought of needed PROTECTION from a cheerleader of all things, Mercy's giggling only made Clyde's head sink between his shoulders with even more reddened face.

"I-I wasn't gonna say yes." He said honestly. He was too busy mourning his manly reputation. But of course he wanted that peek under her skirt! He just had his mind on other things like his manly pride. Maybe that was why Mercy was reluctant to get herself involved with him... He began to think now.

"Hmph... I think I should take on Lilly again." It might be what he needed to get her to back off before she ambushed him. That and he just couldnt afford to have Mercy think he was a wuss! No way!